The Pulse: May 27, 2024

The City of Edmonton has established a housing action team with the goal of scaling up investment in affordable housing and accelerating construction.

Thousands of employees work for the city, and given the multifaceted nature of the housing supply crisis, almost all of them work on initiatives that have to do with housing, said the Housing Action Team's director, Christel Kjenner, on Episode 265 of Speaking Municipally. The team convenes the different city departments that help increase housing supply, namely the social development and urban planning branches.

"What we're working to try to bring together is both sides of that housing spectrum and to have a bigger, more holistic picture. We can't do something that impacts housing supply without impacting the whole continuum of housing, whether it's non-market affordable housing or market housing," Kjenner said. "How do we bring that together and think about what steps are necessary to level up our effort across the board?"

Kjenner said the team is working on reducing costs for developers to incentivize more construction. New developments often require upgraded infrastructure. In greenfield developments, that infrastructure can be divided among the dozens of new homes going up, but for an infill project, upgrades can be prohibitively expensive, Kjenner said. The team is looking at a fund that would facilitate cost-sharing among infill developments.

New developments require a fire assessment, where Edmonton Fire Rescue Services calculates how much water comes out of the nearest fire hydrant and if it is sufficient for a planned development. If it's not, the developer is responsible for upgrades. But Kjenner said EFRS has reevaluated standards to see if they are relevant to the type of buildings that are being constructed now.

"They've created this alternative process so that if you've been told you need to have a fire hydrant or upgrade the amount of water for fire water to your site, it's possible that actually just (using sprinklers) will solve it," she said.

Administration is also working to automate the fire assessment process using geospatial technology, though EFRS will still review applications during the development permit stage.

Council voted last February to phase out the tax subclass for multi-unit residential buildings. Properties with four or more dwelling units under one owner are taxed 15% higher than other properties. "Over the next three years, we're phasing out that differential so that it will just be taxed at the same rate as other residential," Kjenner said. "You can see how if you have a higher tax rate, that's going to disincentivize investment in multi-unit housing, which is exactly what we need."

• Despite recent rain, Edmonton's mosquito population remains low because of an exceptionally dry spring, with minimal hatching observed primarily in roadside ditches and industrial areas. Mosquito numbers are among the lowest seen in May for many years, said the City of Edmonton's pest management specialist Mike Jenkins, though that could change if June brings significant precipitation.
• The arts faculty council at the University of Alberta passed a vote of non-confidence against university president Bill Flanagan, largely due to his handling of a pro-Palestinian student encampment that was forcibly removed by the Edmonton Police Service. The vote, which passed 56-7, follows calls for Flanagan's apology and resignation from students and faculty. The incident has sparked significant backlash, including a potential investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team and criticism over potential violations of protesters' Charter rights.
• The City of Edmonton is revising its Residential Parking Program in response to concerns from residents of the Alberta Avenue and Parkdale neighbourhoods. The new policy, approved by the council's urban planning committee in March, reduces restricted parking areas across Edmonton from 19 to four. Residents were particularly upset about Commonwealth Stadium parking restrictions being extended year-round instead of just on event days, and reducing the Northlands and Stadium permit areas. In response to community backlash, the city modified the program, lowering the permit fee to $30 and reinstating event-based restrictions.
• The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating a police shooting that happened May 25 in north Edmonton, where an Edmonton Police Service officer shot a man with a weapon outside a gas station. The man suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital. No officers were injured, and police said in a release they found a stun gun at the scene.
• The Alberta Human Rights Commission fined the Edmonton Police Service $80,000 for racially discriminating against two Black men, Yousef John and Caesar Judianga, during a wrongful arrest in 2017. The men, who were pepper-sprayed and handcuffed after witnessing a crime and calling 911, were each awarded $40,000 for "injury to dignity." The commission's decision highlighted that the police acted on stereotypes, though no personal liability was found against the officers involved.
• The 2024-2025 budget for Edmonton Public Schools shows increased funding due to higher enrolments but remains tight due to inflation, forcing the division to dip into its reserve funds. Despite a projected 5.2% enrolment growth, the division will struggle to hire enough staff, potentially leading to larger class sizes. Trustees are urging the provincial government for more funding to address the budget constraints. "The challenge is that all of our costs are increasing, including our staffing costs. It's getting tighter and tighter," superintendent Darrel Robertson said.
• A time capsule buried in 1996 at the former Clareview movie theatre, now a GoodLife Fitness, could see the light of day thanks to the efforts of local resident and self-described cinephile Michael Vecchio. The capsule was buried to mark the grand opening of the cinema, which closed in 2015, and its location is still marked with a plaque near the building's entrance. Vecchio has prompted the property management company to consider digging it up, adding he hopes the capsule, intended to be opened in 2096, is still buried and hasn't been removed already.
• Global News spoke to some businesses outside downtown Edmonton that are seeing a drop in activity during the Edmonton Oilers playoff run. For establishments in the city's downtown, business is booming. "Home games, away games. Both are crazy. Everyone wants to be a part of the action," said Sarmad Rizvi with Home & Away sports bar near Rogers Place.
• Vancouver's mayor made good on his bet with Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi by raising the Edmonton Oilers flag at Vancouver city hall after the Oilers eliminated the Canucks from the NHL playoffs. "Cheers to the last Canadian team standing," he wrote.
• Spring in Edmonton brings an increase in Canada Goose sightings, leading to potential aggressive behaviour from the birds, which are highly protective of their goslings. Residents are advised to maintain eye contact and make themselves appear larger if confronted by a goose. "They're beautiful animals, and we just have to learn to live with them properly," said Dale Gienow with WILDNorth Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation.
• The Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) has raised concerns about funding cuts exceeding $500,000 for seven school districts across the province, which it says will lead to teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, and program reductions. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the funding changes are due to lower student enrolment in those districts. Funding is determined by a three-year, weighted moving average formula, which Nicolaides says provides stability to smaller districts. However, ATA president Jason Schilling argued that the model is inadequate amid rapid enrolment growth.
• Federal Liberal politicians, including Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, are ramping up their social media efforts to engage younger voters, who observers expect will be a crucial demographic in the upcoming election. Boissonnault's Gen Z staffers have increased his online reach by 300% by leveraging social media trends. This shift in strategy is intended to address the trust issues younger voters have with traditional political messaging. A recent poll showed the gap between the Liberals and Conservatives among younger voters has narrowed to 5%.

This week, Edmonton's city council will hear from the public on district planning, and debate rezoning applications.

There is a regular public hearing scheduled for May 27 and a multi-day public hearing on district planning scheduled starting on May 28.

Here are key items on the agenda:

• The district policy and district plans, city planning documents that are meant to shape the way the city grows to a population of two million, are scheduled to be debated starting on May 28. The city is encouraging Edmontonians to share their thoughts on the proposed plans and has even designed posters and postcards for residents to spread the word about the public hearing. The plans have been in the works since the city council of 2020 approved the City Plan. Specifically, the district plans are meant to get the city closer to two goals: to add 50% of new housing units through infill and to have 50% of trips made by transit and active modes, while ensuring Edmontonians can easily access their daily needs within a 15-minute walk, roll, or transit trip. In the draft district policy, there are 15 districts, each with nodes and corridors that are meant to see varying levels of housing density and a mix of uses built as the city grows. Nodes are urban centres that serve multiple neighbourhoods, such as the University of Alberta or Capilano Mall. Corridors are prominent thoroughfares, and include much of Whyte Avenue, Stony Plain Road, and 137 Avenue, for example. There are primary corridors and secondary corridors. If council votes for a first and second reading of the district policy, it will go to the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board for review. The plans would then return to council for a final vote, which is scheduled for early fall. If approved, the plans will come into effect immediately.
• Administration is proposing changes to the area structure plan within the Marquis neighbourhood, a parcel of land in the far northeast Horse Hill neighbourhood. The current plan included a future LRT station, but administration wants to relabel it as a "mass transit station" to allow the option of bus-based rapid transit in the future. The proposed plan would reduce the size of the commercial centre planned for the neighbourhood and increase the amount of lower-density residential forms, the city said. Administration said if the new plan is approved, fewer people than desired will be living and working in the neighbourhood. The city expects the number of jobs and/or people per hectare to be about 135 with the new plan, which is below the desired minimum of 150. However, the city said once development progresses and mass transit is introduced to the area, the minimum desired density may be met. Also, the developer has planned to move the transit centre to a different location that is isolated and less integrated into the community, presenting possible safety concerns, the city said. Administration asked the developer to move the transit centre somewhere else, but the developer said no. The changes are scheduled to be debated at a public hearing on May 27.
• Scheffer Andrew is applying to rezone vacant land in Belvedere to build a six-storey building. The lot is currently zoned for up to 20 storeys. The property is near Fort Road and 66 Street NW and abuts an existing six-storey building. Administration supports the application as the lot is near transit and commercial opportunities. There is insufficient access to fire protection adjacent to the property, and the city said the developer will be responsible for all costs associated with supplying water. The rezoning is scheduled to be reviewed at a public hearing on May 27.

Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel.

Image: Council is set to debate the district policy and 15 district plans starting May 28. (City of Edmonton)

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Library Lunchtime Concerts: Health Arts Society of Alberta starting at 12:15pm at the Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars Game 3, Scotiabank Fan Park, and Ford Tailgate Party starting at 5pm in the ICE District
• Gluten Free Session with a Guided Grocery Store Tour starting at 6pm at Community Natural Foods
• YourDI Fitness Class starting at 6pm at the JW Marriott (Edmonton ICE District)
• UpRow 2.0 Launch starting at 6pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Financial Literacy: Tips and Secrets Smart Canadians Know starting at 7pm at Edmonton Public Library (Strathcona)

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• June 8: YEG Global Shapers Clothing Swap at YWCA Edmonton (Cushing House)
• June 9: Food Tour Experience at Bountiful Market
• June 16: kihêw waciston Presents: Aysanabee

Visit the beta version of the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.